The Lagos State Police Command has arrested seven suspects following a violent communal clash between youths in the Otto and Ijanikin communities along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, which left one person dead.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed the development in a statement on Saturday in Lagos.
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According to her, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Olohundare Jimoh, personally led a joint team of police operatives and tactical squads to the Otto-Ijanikin axis to restore order after the expressway was blocked during the unrest.
She stated that the road was successfully cleared and reopened to traffic at about 9:00 a.m., adding that normalcy has since been restored in the affected communities.
Adebisi disclosed that during the clash, a man identified as Akinyemi Omo Akin was shot and later died in hospital.
“The command has ordered a full-scale investigation into the incident,” she said, noting that the probe would be led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti.
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The spokesperson refuted claims that the deceased was hit by a stray bullet fired by police officers.
“Preliminary findings indicate that before police intervention, both groups brought in suspected cultists who engaged in a gun duel, during which the victim was believed to have been shot,” she explained.
She added that seven suspects from both sides of the conflict had been apprehended and were currently in police custody.
“The suspects have made voluntary statements detailing their roles in the clash,” she said.
Adebisi further revealed that one locally made pistol and two live cartridges were recovered from one of the suspects.
She said tactical squads and anti-riot officers had been deployed to comb the affected communities and adjoining bushes in a bid to apprehend other fleeing suspects.
The spokesperson warned individuals and groups against acts capable of breaching public peace, stressing that those found culpable would face the full weight of the law.
She urged parents and guardians to caution their wards against engaging in violence, while assuring residents of their safety and encouraging them to go about their lawful activities without fear.
Residents were also advised to report any suspicious persons or activities capable of threatening public peace and security through the command’s emergency lines: 07061019374, 08065154338, 08063299264, 08039344870, and 09168630929.
